Waseem’s superb victory over Jakrawut is a tonic for Pakistan’s boxing

By Alam Zeb Safi
LAHORE: Pakistan’s premier professional boxer Mohammad Waseem produced a stirring comeback to defeat Thailand’s Jakrawut Majungoen and retain his WBA Gold bantamweight title in Lahore, overcoming a disastrous start marked by two first-round knockdowns.
It was a rare spectacle, a fighter absorbing heavy early damage yet rallying with precision and composure to reclaim control of the bout. The nail-biting contest, witnessed by several world-renowned athletes, proved a major boost for Pakistani boxing. The fight trended widely, drawing millions of viewers worldwide.
Pakistan should build on this momentum. More professional fighters and high-caliber events on home soil would help the sport flourish.
Waseem, who entered as the favorite, was dropped twice in the first round and again in the fifth. He said his body cooled down after warming up, hampering movement and contributing to the early knockdowns. Jakrawut impressed with sharp counterattacks, particularly his dangerous left hook throughout the 12-round bout.
From the second round onward, however, Waseem settled in and dominated, winning every round except the fifth in which he was dropped again.
“Yes, my body had cooled down and that caused the issue initially,” Waseem told thecricketplus.com in an informal chat.
“But I was able to recover and box well in the later rounds. We had prepared well, and the hard work paid off. It’s not easy to recover after knockdowns.”
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz attended the fight as did members of Waseem’s family. Former world champion Roy Jones Jr, Amir Khan, Olympic bronze medallist Hussain Shah, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem were also in attendance.
Asked about his future plans, Waseem said he would rest before deciding the next steps.
“Now I have returned home and will rest for some time, then plan for upcoming fights,” he said.
One surprising note was the absence of any cash award announcement from Maryam Nawaz for Waseem who has represented Pakistan at the highest level for nearly two decades. Although the boxer is well supported by the military, a cash prize would have served as a symbolic recognition of his achievements.
In May, Waseem captured the WBA world title in Quetta, knocking out Venezuela’s Winston Orono in the ninth round before a massive home crowd.
Saturday’s victory improved Waseem’s record to 15-2, with 10 knockouts. His only losses came in world title fights against South Africa’s Moruti Mthalane and England’s Sunny Edwards.
Waseem turned professional in 2015 after a decade-long amateur career and a bronze medal at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. In 2016, he won the WBC Flyweight Silver title in just his fourth professional fight and later defended it against Filipino contender Giemel Magramo.
He narrowly missed becoming IBF world champion twice — in 2018 against Mthalane in Kuala Lumpur and again in 2022 against Edwards, the latter widely viewed as a controversial decision. At one point, Waseem held the WBC No1 world ranking, a remarkable achievement for the Quetta-born fighter.